[ISS] As Côte d'Ivoire heads towards its 2020 presidential elections, the question facing the international community - particularly the African Union (AU), its Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - is what role they should play in Côte d'Ivoire's peacebuilding and democratic consolidation. (AllAfrica)

[RFI] Fans of the singer DJ Arafat opened his tomb and his coffin after his private funeral on Saturday morning. The Ivorian star was killed following a motorbike accident in Abidjian on 12 August. (AllAfrica)

[RFI] Two weeks after the star of coupé-decalé died in a motorbike accident, more than 100,000 people are expected to attend Friday's music tribute to DJ Arafat. The popular musician and producer will be buried on Saturday. (AllAfrica)

[allAfrica] Washington, DC -Career U.S. ambassadors are taking up key diplomatic assignments across Africa following confirmation by the Senate earlier this month. These include envoys to Nigeria, Egypt, Libya, Cote d'Ivoire and the African Union, as well as Malawi and Cape Verde. (AllAfrica)

[The Conversation Africa] The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament is the most important sporting event on the continent. It attracts media attention, sponsors and draws significant global viewership. Organised every two years, it is also considered one of the most difficult to win based on a large qualification pool. (AllAfrica)

[RFI] One is currently out on parole in Brussels after being acquitted for war crimes; the other has joined the opposition after walking out of Côte d'Ivoire's coalition government. In recent months, Laurent Gbagbo and Henri Konan Bédié have gotten closer and teir rapprochement could shake up next year's presidential election. (AllAfrica)

[allAfrica] Cape Town -Ivorian singer and star of the coupé-décalé DJ Arafat is dead. He died August 12, as a result of a traffic accident that occurred on Sunday evening, Ivorian Radio-Television (RTI) announced on its Twitter account. (AllAfrica)

[USMCC] Abidjan -The U.S. Government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has announced its intent to deploy a new strategic collaboration with Bechtel Infrastructure Corporation (a Bechtel company) and the Government of Côte d'Ivoire, focusing on national infrastructure master planning. (AllAfrica)

[USTR] Deputy United States Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney and African Union Commission Commissioner for Trade and Industry Albert Muchanga today signed a joint statement concerning trade between the United States and the African Union at the opening ceremony of the 2019 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum. (AllAfrica)

[Thomson Reuters Foundation] Yaounde -Too much plastic and not enough schools are scourges of modern life many countries face. Now a factory in West Africa will try to tackle both by transforming old flip-flops and car tyres into bricks to build classrooms. (AllAfrica)

[UN News] In an innovative partnership, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and a Colombian social enterprise announced on Monday that it had broken ground on a first-of-its-kind factory to convert plastic waste in Côte d'Ivoire into modular, easy-to-assemble, low-cost plastic bricks for classrooms in the West African country. (AllAfrica)

[HRW] A new marriage law in Côte d'Ivoire could be a step toward women having the same rights as their husbands over marital property. It's part of a larger government plan to make men and women equal in marriages and when it comes to inheritance. (AllAfrica)

[Digital Content Africa] African film and TV companies are still trying to figure out how online changes what they do. This week Russell Southwood talks to Abel Kouame who is the co-founder of Afrika Toon about how it sees online. (AllAfrica)

[The Conversation Africa] African leaders often behave in a contradictory way towards international laws, and courts. While speaking out against them, they also voluntarily submit to their scrutiny. (AllAfrica)

[RFI] Cairo -Algeria enter their quarter-final showdown against Cote d'Ivoire as the only team with a 100 per cent record after impressive victories over Senegal, Tanzania and Kenya in Group C. They then romped past Guinea 3-0 in the last 16. The Ivorians have been prosaic by contrast. (AllAfrica)

[Monitor] Ivory Coast's Elephants and the Desert Foxes of Algeria have been involved in two thrilling quarterfinals before in 2010 in Angola and 2015 in Equatorial Guinea and both were full of goals. (AllAfrica)

[Ghanaian Times] Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire have agreed to institute a stabilisation fund under its new pricing mechanism for cocoa beans to cushion farmers should producer prices drop on the international markets. (AllAfrica)

[CAF] In a West African duel dominated by Mali, Cote d'Ivoire was the most realistic team with a 1-0 victory. The Eagles may blame themselves for not having been able to score after so many many opportunities in the first half. The Elephants will face Algeria for a sport in the 2019 African Cup of Nations semifinals. (AllAfrica)

[RFI] Cairo -Cote d'Ivoire take on Mali on Monday in a last 16 battle, that on paper, appears evenly matched. The two west African countries share 62nd place in the world rankings but both enjoyed differing fortunes on their way to the knockout stages. (AllAfrica)

[CAF] Mali and Ivory Coast are fighting for a place in the quarterfinals of this Total Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2019. The match is a renewal of rivalry between the Western African neighbors, whose previous AFCON encounters have always turned to the advantage of the Elephants. Now, the Eagles want to rewrite history. (AllAfrica)

[Balancing Act] London -The first generation of African submarine cable building is over and with the announcement of Google and Facebook cables, the second generation of cable building begins. Russell Southwood asks what these two digital giants are up to in Africa and how it will affect other newer cables, both existing and planned. (AllAfrica)